Swings + Roundabouts Autumn 2021

Phil and Tiffany Smith, owners of Collingridge and Smith Architects (UK) Ltd (CASA) have specialised in designing world-class education architecture for over 20 years, both in NZ and the UK. They believe in creating beautiful human spaces based on research that brings together architecture and evolutionary psychology. This is achieved through creativity, refinement, and care. They have been recognised for their achievements in sustainable early childhood architecture with their designs achieving many local and international awards for centres including Fantails Childcare; New Shoots Children's Centres, Three Trees Learning Centre, Campbells Bay Early Learning Centre, Chrysalis Early Learning Centre, Kristin Early Learning, and Te Mirumiru Childhood Education Centre. Website: www.casa-uk.com WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? Things everyone can do today ● Switch off all lights and appliances when not in use. ● Boil only the amount of water needed. ● Close doors and windows when heating/cooling rooms, though remember to leave gaps for fresh air. ● Walk instead of driving whenever you can. Things you can do in your centre ● Replace lightbulbs with energy efficient ones. ● Insulate the hot water tank, roof and walls, and draught-proof windows and doors. ● Switching the centre’s energy provider to one that only provides from renewable sources, making your centre 100% zero carbon energy immediately! ● Know your carbon footprint - Organisations such The Sustainability Business Network and Toitū Envirocare have great experience, support and cost effective tools to help everyone in your centre understand their carbon emissions and how they can make an impact ● Establish a centre travel plan with Auckland Transport - it provides a centre’s community with practical actions to improve road safety, reduce car trips to the centre, and encourages the use of more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling and buses. ● onsider turning some of the car parks into ‘small car’ spaces so that only smaller energy efficient cars will fit. and unless we change course that number will grow worse –with a world population that has exploded since the Great Famine and Black Death in 1350 from 370 million people to 7.6 billion today and projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, even two planets may not be enough. Just in case you are thinking Aotearoa is sustainable – the reality is that if everyone lived like a New Zealander we would need approx. 2.4 planets to live on today. WHAT IS BEING DONE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? By signing the Paris Agreement in 2015 most of the world’s nations committed to take action to limit climate change. Each nation who signed committed to: “Hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre- industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change” “Increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production.” (Paris Agreement, Article 2 (United Nations, 2015) Each nations has the right to determine what actions they will take as part of their commitment to the global efforts. In Aotearoa under the Climate Change Response Act, the government is required to contribute to efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Act establishes a domestic emissions reduction target for greenhouse gases for 2050. This target aims to reduce biogenic methane emissions to 24-47% below 2017 levels by 2050, and reduce all other greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The Act also established the Climate Change Commission, whose role is to provide advice to the government on the reductions in emissions over time that would ensure Aotearoa meets those targets, in the form of five-yearly emissions budgets. On 31st January 2021 the Climate Change Commission released its first draft advice report to the government. This advice lays out the course for reducing emissions in Aotearoa and set the direction of policy that Aotearoa takes to get there. The report found Aotearoa may miss the emissions reduction targets if it doesn't take "strong and decisive action now" and recommends ambitious limits on the amount of greenhouse gases that should be released over the next 15 years. Aotearoa is currently estimated to emit 112.5 million more tonnes of greenhouse gases between 2022 and 2035 than the Commission's budgets advise. Submissions from members of the public can be made until 14 th March 2021 with final recommendations being released on 31 st May 2021. The Government has until the end of the year to accept the Commission's proposed budgets or determine their own emissions reduction plan for meeting the budgets. Replace lightbulbs with energy efficient ones (Kid Country Early Learning Centre, Kumeu) Close doors and windows when heating/cooling rooms, though remember to leave gaps for fresh air (Kid Country Early Learning Centre, Kumeu) March 2021 { 29 }